Striping attachment for circular-knitting machines



March 1 ,1924. I 1,487,015

w. LENGEL STRIPING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed March 15. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 18 1924. 1,487,015

w. L. LENGEL STRIPING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

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Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UNITED 0F READING, PEN

WILLIAM L. LENGEL,

NSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR' To THE NOLDE &

HORST 00., OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

STRIPING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed March is, 1922. Serial No. 543,142;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. LENGEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State. of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Striping Attachments for Circular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to circular knitting machines, and particularly to attachments thereto employing thread-carrier fingers freely suspended above the needle circle and adapted to introduce additional thread or threads to the latter to be interwoven with the fabric soas to produce vertical stripes; my main object being to provide improved actuating and controlling means for accurately determining and varying the needleengaging swings of the fingers and shifting such swings along the needle circle for producing'a great variety of ornamental effects,

and pattern-controlled means adapting my attachment to be employed in connection with knitting machines of the full-automatic type. The invention is fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features are pointed out in the subjoined claims.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation indicating only the cylinder head of a well-known type of knitting machine provided with an attachment embodying my invention in preferred form; parts being shown in vertical section to more clearly disclose the construction.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the thread-finger suspension plate, showing two adjacent thread-carrier fingers and their ac tuating and controlling means, in section substantially on the line 22 of F1g. 3; the finger-bearing-block of one finger being removed, and parts of the mechanism of other fingers being shown.

-F-ig. 3 is a front elevation of a portion of the suspension plate, showing a single thread-carrier finger and its actuating and controllin mechanism, with parts of an adjacent finger mechanism: the fixed pattern-controlled contact fingers being indicated.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 3, partly in vertical cross-section. I

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of a threadcarrier finger and its operating cam, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged detail views of the pattern-controlled contact fingers for intermittently actuating the thread-carrier fingers.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view showing the needle-engaging swings of the threadcgrrier finger and possible variations thereo Fig. 9 is a perspective detail view of the fin er actuating slide member.

triping thread attachments have heretofore been employed in knitting machines and my invention relates to the general type shown in Robinson Patents Nos. 1,203,- 131, October 31, 1916, and 1,357,254, November 2, 1920, and consists in improved means for imparting needle-engaging swings to such thread-carrier fingers and to more certain and varied limitations of their swings, and to determinedly controlling these movements by pattern-actuated mechanism for automatically producing and changing the stripe patterns during the knitting operation.

' In the accompanying drawings 1 have shown myimproved attachment as applied to the-well-known Banner type of circular knitting machine (Hemphill PatentNo. 933,443 of Sept. 7, 1909) in whiclr'the needle-cylinderiis rotated, the thread-carrier finger suspension plate being rotated with said needle-cylinder so as to maintain said fingers in constant position above their respective needles; but it will be obvious that it is equally applicable to knitting machines in which the needle-cylinder is fixed and the cam-cylinder is necessary 0 erative changes for the latter being readi y provided for.

Referringnow particularly to Fi 1 of the drawin s, 1 represents the usua fixed table of a nitting machine, 2 the needlecylinder rotatably mounted thereon, 3..the non-rotatableneedle-rest and cam cylinder, and 4 the stationary latch-rin showing a single needle 5, of the usual ciro e of needles, extending into the latter; all of which parts are of well-known construction and operation and are a sufiicient showing of this well-known ty e of knitting machine to fully disclose t e relation of my improved attachments thereto and their cooperation therewith.

My improved attachment is mainly suprotated instead, theported on a vertical standard 10 mounted' r1es midwa of its height, a fixed bracket 11 on which 1s rotatably mounted a spindletable. 12 havin a vertical sleeve-bearingextension 13,- tie upper end of which is provided with a sp1dered. bearing-ring 14 seating in an apertured top-bearing bracket 15 of the standard. The table 12 is provided as shown with a flange-gear 16 housed in the bracket 11 and is driven from the needle-cylinder 2 by a vertical shaft 17 having gears meshing with the usual needlecylinder driving-"ear and gear 16, so as to rotate said table 12 at equal speed with the needle-cylinder 2. A single bobbinspindle 18 and thread-guide standard 19 are shown mounted on the table 12, but it will be understood a series of these may be em loyed as required.

otatably carried by the table 12, and vertically slida-ble in the sleeve 13, is a shaft 20, held'in adjusted position therein by a set-screw 21, so as toposition thethreadfinger suspension plate. 22 secured to the lower end of said shaft, in lowered needleengaging position shown in full lines, or in raised out-of-the-way position indicated in dotted lines. Slidably mounted on the upper end of shaft-20 and rotatable therewith, is a sleeve 23, whichslidably carries a similar sleeve 24, and these sleeves 24 and 23 are respectively connected by links 25, 25 and 26, 26

' extending through spidered bearing ring 14,

to a flanged sleeve 27, slidably mounted on sleeve-bearing 13, and a flanged sleeve 28, slida-bly carried by said sleeve 27, and these sleeves 27 and 28 have links 29 and 30 extending through apertures in spindle table 12, connecting them respectively to end stops 65, 66 controlling the needle-engaging swings of the thread-carrier fingers as. more fully hereinafter described. Forked levers 31 and 32 pivotally carried by a frame standard, as shown, respectively control the vertical adjustment of sleeves 2328 and 244-27, and intermittent and determined in- 1 dependent movements are imparted to levers 31 and 32 through pattern-mechanism com necting rods 34 and 35. t

For directly engaging-the striping or embroidery thread with the needles to produce an ornamental stripe or clock design, I employ, as heretofore, a thread-carrier finger 36 similar to the fingers of the aforesaid patents and freely suspended, as therein; described, from a universal 'oint suspension head 37 seated in a bearing b to the suspension plate 22, so that its needleengaging finger-end 39 may freely swing about determined needles. The drawings show only one fingerand its individual are look 33 secured tuating and controlling devices, which is sufficient to disclose my invention, but it will be understood the number employed may be varied to suit the requirements, for instance,

Fig. 2 indicating a circular series.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 9, which show on an enlarged scale a thread-carrier finger and its operating and controlling mechanism, it will be seen that 1 preferably form such fingerwith an intermediate integral horizontal. extension 40 having a transverse slide-way 41 in one end thereof for an actuating slide member 42, the latter being adapted to contact with the surface of an actuating cam 47 and having a stud 43 engaging a transverse cam recess, ashere'in later described. Spring plates 44, 44 secured to the extension 40 with their free ends resting in extension recesses 40 as shown, and projecting beyond the same across transverse slide-way 41, form a flexible connection between said finger and slide; said springs bearing on opposite ends of the slide member 42 when resting in their recesses '40 40, normally tending to move the finger and center it with relation to said slide. Transverse movement imparted to the slide-member 42, by cam 47 as later herein described, will transmit such movement to the finger 36 through said coupling springs 44, '44; and when the lateral swing of the finger is limited by end stops, hereinafter more fully referred to, such movement of the slide-member 42 will merely flex one of saidsprings42 without imparting. its full movement to the finger 36. The finger 36 is also provided, as shown, with an actuating extension or arm 45 from the suspension head 37, the outer end of said arm being formed with a cam-contacting head 46 engaging said cam 47 at a point at right angles to the engagement therewith of slide 42; such angular engagement positively controllingthe radial swing of finger 36 and preventing its unintentional movement by centrifugal action of the rapidly rotated machine. In the drawings the finger 36 below the extension 40, is shown out of alinement with the finger portion 36 above the atter, carrying the suspension head 37, which arrangement permits the employing of a maximum number of thread-finger units about the circle of needles, but is not an essential part of my invention.

The actuating means in my improved construction for impartin needle-engaging swings to the finger-en 39. consists of a compound cam 47 having finger-engaging cam-surfaces arranged in planes at rightangles to one another and inconstantengagement with the fingeractuatin slide 42,.

slide movements imparting positive radial needle-engaging swings to the finger 36, and transverse swings of the latter along the circle of needles-through flexible connections 44, 44 up to the maximum of said slide movements. This cam 47, as shown, .is formed with an outer cam-surface 48 substantiallyfelliptical in shape, and having a circumferential recess forming cam-surfaces 49, 49 adapted to engage the stud 43 of finger-actuating slide-member 42, the latter engaging cam surface 48 which also engages the head 46 of finger-extension 45; such contacts with the cam-surface 48 being at points substantially ninety degrees apart as shown, insuring their constant engagement and positive controlpf theifinger-actuating means during the entire rotation of the cam, the surfaces 48 and 49, 49 of the latter respectively im arting radial and transverse swings to t ie finger-actuating slide 42,t-he latter effecting positive radial swings of finger 36, and variable transverse swings of the latter through connecting springs 44, 44, as above described. Both cam surfaces 48,

and 49, 49, are preferably shaped, as shown in the drawings, to complete two distinct needle-engaging swings to the finger for one rotation of the cam, and each finger employed is actuated by a cam 47 rotatably mounted adjacent thereto and in proper cooperative relation therewith, said cams being intermittently rotated a half-rotation at a time by a gear 50 preferably formed integral with the cam.

' For simply mounting the cam 47 and its integral gear 50, I provide them, as shown,

with alined bearing apertures and 50 for engagement with trunnion projections 51 and 52, said projection 51 extending from th foot portion 53 of a bracket 54 secured to suspension plate 22, and pro'ection 52 being carried. by an :angle-brac et 55 which, as shown, is secured to the bracket 54 of an adjacent finger mechanism, or may be secured directly to plate 22. The bracket foot 53 forms a bearing for a vertical shaft 56, extending through the plate 22, which shaft carries below. said plate a gear 57 in mesh with gear 50, and above said plate a stud-toothed gear 58. Each finger 36 employed has a similarly mounted cam 47 and gear 58 and the latter are intermittently actuated, as shown, by a contact finger 59 carried in a block 60 supported from the standard 10, the finger 59 being movable into the path of the stud-toothed gears 58 carried on the rotated suspension plate 22, so as to give each gear a partial rotation on its own axis at each rotation of said plate. Two contacts 59, 59 are shown either of which may be projected against the action of its retractive, s'pring'61, 61 by a vertical slide .cam 62, the upper finger 59 acting only on certain stud gears 58 having extra long teeth limit the finger-travelalong the needle circle- These stops 65 and 66 are arranged, as shown, to contact with an enlarged finger portion 67, preferably conical in shape, so that by vertically shifting them along the cone variations in the transverse swing of the finger-end 39 may be determined, both to limit the number of needles engaged and also to relatively shift the swings along the needle circle. The end stops 65 and 66 have vertical extensions 65" and ,66 respectively, as shown, slidably mounted in suspension plate 22, and to their upper ends are respectively connected the depending ends of links 29 and 30 heretofore mentioned, the latter being adapted to vertically raise said stops against the action of springs 68 connecting each link to plate 22 and normally tending to move said stops in a reverse direction. The upper ends of said links 29 and 30 are preferably formed as shown with return-bend portions 29 and 30 forming loops and are adapted to freely pass through apertures in the respective flanges of sleeves 27 and 28, to which latter they are loosely connected by pins 69 engagingin said loops; this construction permitting movement of the plate 22 to the raised idle position shown indotted lines in Fig. 1, the loops upon such movement merely idly rising through 'theflanges of said sleeves. The drawings indicate flange 27 as controlling all end stops 65 through connecting links 29, and in like manner flange 28 controlling all end stops '66 through links 30, thus permitting independ ent control of each series of end stops; it will be evident however that other arrangements might be made and even individual and separate control of any end-stop employed.

From the foregoing description the operation of my improved attachment will be readily understood from the following brief summary and in connection with diagrammatic Fig. 8. The number of thread-carrier fingers employed. as stated, may be varied as desired, and eachone is provided with an actuating cam intermittently rotated by its stud gear 58. and the-transverse needle-engaging swings of the finger-end 39 arelimited by the vertically shiftable independent end-stops 65 and 66 contacting with the conical finger enlargement 67; the movement of the stops 65 and 66 being controlled by pattern-actuated levers 31' and 32 acting through the link-connected sleeves 23-28 and 24-427 and links 29 and 30 connecting the latter to the stop extensions 65 and 66*;

while pattern-actuated slide 62 controls the projection of contact finger 59, or 59 into the path of stud gear 58 to rotate cam a7.-

carried thereby around certain needles '5,

which needles are determinedly selected by the pattern-mechanism through its control of slide sleeves 2328 and 24-27 and the latters connection to the end stops 65- and 66'so as to automatically effect any changes desired. The latch ring 4, it will be seen in Fig. 1, is preferably provided with an opening through which the finger ends 39 swing 1n-mak1ng their needle-engaging movements.

In Fig. 8 l have shown diagrammatically possible variations in the needle-engaging swings of the finger-end 39, dotted line 71 indicating one complete swing of said finger, the number of needles engaged being commonly varied-by joint movement of the endstops and 66 to contact at different levels with the conical finger portion 67. By independently moving end stops 65 and 66, raising one and lowering the other, the number of needles engaged may remain the same, but the needle-engaging swing of the finger-end 39 will be shifted along the needle circle to include the needles in bracket 72, or by reverse movement of the stops 65 and 66, to include the needles in bracket 73. By ditl'erently moving the end-stops independ' ently any determined consecutive series of the needles within the maximum transverse swing of the finger end may be engaged, providing for the production of a great variety of stripe patterns or clock designs as desired.

My improved construction provides at all times for imparting positive to-and-fro radial swings and determinedly varied transverse or circumferential swings to the threadcarrier finger, preventing any unintentional movement or displacement due to centrifugal force exerted by the rapidly rotated plate 22; and the unit structure of each finger mechanism provides for readily adding or removing a finger, while their compact arrangement allows for the employment of a maximum number of fingers about the needle circle. My rattachment is readily applied to regular knitting machines of known type and the automatic actuating means may be conveniently and simply arranged to connect with a usual pattern drum mechanism so as to produce varied stripe efiects during the usual circular knittingoperation. Modifications and changes will readily suggest themselves, and I do not desire to limit myself to the specific construction shown and described.

What I claim is: y

1. In a striping attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a thread-carrier finger having a universal-joint suspension point, means for imparting positive to-and-fro radial swings and determined transverse swings along the needle circle to the free end of said finger.

2. In a. striping attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a thread-carrier finger having a universal-joint suspension oint, means for imparting positive to-an -fro radial swings and maximum transverse needle-engaging swings to the free end of said finger, and means for controlling said transverse swing to engage any determined consecutive series of needles within said maximum swing.

3. ln a striping attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a thread-car- I rier finger having a universal-joint suspension oint, means for imparting positive to-ant -fro radial swings and varying transverse swings to the free end of said finger, and means for determinedly shitting said swings along the needle circle.

4. In a striping attachment for circular knitting machine's comprising a thread-carr er finger having a universal-joint suspenslon point, means for imparting positive to-and-fro radial swings and maximum transverse needle-engaging swings to the free end of said finger, vertically-movable finger-contacting end stops, and means for independently moving said stops to engage any determined consecutive series of needles within said maximum transverse swing a. In a striping attachment for circular knitting machines c0mprising a thread-carr er finger having a universal-joint suspen-- sion point, means for imparting intermittent needle-engaging swings to the free end of said finger comprising a'compound cam adapted to impart a positive radial swing and a maximum circumferential swing Ml thereto, and means for varying said circumferential swing. lln a striping attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a thread-carr er finger having a universal-joint suspen- Ml sion point, means for imparting intermittent needle-engaging swings to the end of said finger comprising acam having fingerengaging cam surfaces in constant engagement with said finger. Fm

llltl 7. In a stripingattachmentfor circular knitting machinescomprising a thread-car- 'rier finger having a universal-joint suspension point, means for imparting intermittent needle-engaging swings to the free end of said finger comp-rising a cam having fingerengaging cam-surfaces arranged in planes at right-angles to each other.

8. In a striping attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a thread-carrier finger having a universal-joint suspension point, means for imparting needle-engaging swings to the free end of said finger comprising a cam having a finger-engaglng cam-surface and a recess in said surfaceforming a cam track for saidfinger at rightangles to said cam surface.

9. In a striping attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a thread-carrier finger having a universal-joint suspension point, means for imparting needle-engaging swings to the free end of said finger comprising a compound cam having a finger-engaging cam-surface adapted to impart positive to-and-fro radial swings to said nger, and a right-angled finger-engaging cam surface adapted to impart maximum circumferential swings to said finger, and means for varying said circumferential swings,

10. in a striping attachment tor circular knitting machines comprising a thread-carrier finger havinga universal-joint suspen-' sion oint,,means for imparting intermittent need e-engaging swings to the free end of said finger comprising a rotary cam mounted adjacent and in constant engagement with said finger, and means for imparting intermittent motion to said cam.

11. In a striping attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a thread-can rier finger having a universal-joint suspension point, means for imparting intemnittent needle-engaging swings to the free end of said finger comprising a rota cam mounted adjacent said finger and aving cam-surfaces engaging the latter at two separate points.

12. In a striping attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a thread-carrier finger having a universal-joint suspension oint. means for imparting intermittent need e-engaging swings tothe free end of said finger comprising a rotary cam mounted adjacent said fi gi r and having fight-angled points of contact with the latter.

2 33111 a striping attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a thread-carrier fi sion point, means for imparting intermittent needle-engaging swings to the free end of said finger comprising a rotary cam having cam surfaces in planes at '91! rig t-ang es to each other, said cam being having a universal-joint suspenmounted adjacent said finger and having right-angled points of contact with the latter.

' 14. In a striping attachment for circular 'rier finger having a universal-joint suspension point and a fixed and a movable actuating extension, means for imparting intermittent needle-engaging swings to the free end of said finger comprising a compound rotary cam mounted adjacent said finger and having one cam-surface engaging both said fixed and movable finger extensions and a second cam-surface engaging said movable finger extension only.

16. In a striping attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a thread-carrier finger having a universal-joint suspension point and a finger-carried actuating extension transversely movable thereon and adapted to impart circumferential swin s to said finger end, means for intermittent y reversely moving said extension, and fin ercontacting stops adapted to determin dly limit the swinging movement imparted to said finger end. i Y

17. In a striping attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a thread-carrier finger having a universal-joint"suspension'point and a finger-carried transverse slide-member having flexible finger-actuating connections adapted to impart transverse swings-to the free end of said finger, a rotary cam mounted adjacent said finger and having a cam-surface in fixed engagement with said slide-member, and finger-contacting stops independently movable to, determinedly limit the swinging movement im ferent portions of said taper to determinedly limit the needle engaging swings of the fingerend.

19. In a striping attachmentffor circular knitting machines comprising a thread-carrier fingerhaving a universal-joint suspension point and a conical contact portion, means for imparting an intermittent maximum needle-engaging swing to the free end of said finger, and end stops independently movable to contact with different portions of said cones to limit said swing to engage any determined consecutive series of needles within said maximum swing.

20. In a striping attachment for circular knitting machines comprising a thread-carsaid finger,.n1eans to control said transverse .swing to engage any determined consecutive series of needles within said maximum swing, and pattern-controlled actuating means adapted respectively to intern'iittently actuate said needle swinging means and to independently adjust said finger control means during continuous circular knitting.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM L. LENGEL. 

